Communication of data is an endemic aspect of modern society. Communication systems are utilized to allow the communication of the data. A communication system includes a sending station and a receiving station interconnected by way of a communication channel. Many different types of communication systems have been developed and deployed. Different types of communication systems are used to allow different communication services.
Many modern communication systems make use of digital communication techniques. Various advantages are inherent in the use of digital communication techniques in contrast to analog communication techniques. Digital communication techniques, for instance, improve the communication efficiency of the data. As a result of the increased communication efficiency, the communication capacity of a communication system that utilizes the digital communication techniques is correspondingly increased over the communication capacity of a corresponding communication system that utilizes only analog communication techniques.
A radio communication system is an exemplary type of communication system. In a radio communication system, the communication channel interconnecting sending and receiving stations is defined upon a radio air interface extending between the separate communication stations. The costs required initially to install and deploy a radio communication system are generally less than the corresponding costs associated with the installation and deployment of a wireline counterpart. Also, a radio communication system can be implemented as a mobile communication system, providing for mobility of communications.
A cellular communication system is an exemplary type of radio communication system. Cellular communication systems have achieved significant penetration, i.e., usage, levels. In some areas, for instance, the penetration level of cellular communication systems approach significant fractional levels of conventional wireline, telephonic systems. And, the network infrastructures of various cellular communication systems have been installed to encompass significant portions of the populated areas of the world. Successive generations of cellular communication systems have been developed and deployed.
So-called first generation (1G) cellular communication systems were first installed and generally utilize analog communication techniques. So-called, second generation (2G) cellular communication systems generally make use of digital communication techniques and provide for some data services. Third generation (3G) communication systems are undergoing development and deployment. Third-generation communication systems also utilize digital communication techniques and provide for data services. Data communicated pursuant to the effectuation of such data services is permitted to be communicated at higher data rates relative to data rates at which data is communicated in earlier generation systems. And, communication of data at selected, different communication rates is also generally permitted. Successor generation systems are presently under development, to be readied for future deployment.
Additionally, private access, and other, wireless communication systems that exhibit operational similarities to cellular communication systems have also been deployed. And, other such systems are under development. Wireless local area networks (WLANs), for instance, are used to communicate telephonically, typically when a user is positioned within a relatively defined geographical area, such as a building premises, or the like.
Communication devices, such as mobile stations, that operate in a radio communication system are sometimes defined in terms of logical layers, different ones of the logical layers performing different functions. A bottom layer is a physical layer, and a top layer is, e.g., an application layer at which application programs are resident. The logical layers are sometimes together referred to as a protocol stack. And, the protocol stack includes, typically, several mid-stack logical layers.
First-generation cellular communication systems utilize only circuit switched connections between communication stations operable therein. Second generation communication systems permit communications to be effectuated by the circuit switched connections and also by way of packet switched connections. And, successor generation communication systems also provide for packet switched connections by which to form communication connections between communication stations operable pursuant to a communication session to effectuate a communication service.
When circuit switched connections are formed, the functions provided by various of the mid stack layers of the communication device are not required. Passing the data therethrough, however, is conventionally undertaken in conventional communication devices. Passing the data that does not need to be operated upon at the mid stack layers introduces communication delay and increases the processing complexity of the communication device as the data is operated upon at the successive layers.
More generally, devices, formed of a protocol stack, that operate upon data might not always need to provide the data to every logical layer of the protocol stack.
If a manner could be provided by which to bypass application of the data to logical layers of the protocol stack to which the data need not be applied, then improved operation of the communication device would be permitted.
It is in light of this background information related to devices defined in terms of a protocol stack that the significant improvements of the present invention have evolved.